40 Under 40: Washington's Rising Stars

Nostradamus is not on our payroll so The National Law Journal can't report the future today. But we can make some predictions. One is that the young Washington-area lawyers profiled here will play a major role in the legal community of the nation's capital — and therefore of the nation — for years to come.

Selected by the editors based on nominations and reporting, these 40 individuals have already made their marks in private practice, in government agencies, on Capitol Hill and with public interest groups. Some have garnered headlines; others are less well-known. And not one has reached the age of 40.

GREGG LOCASCIO, KIRKLAND & ELLIS

The courtroom is something of a second home for Gregg LoCascio, 39, an IP partner at Kirkland & Ellis. During the past three years, he has spent nearly six months in court during five multiweek trials — in four of which he served as first chair. All that courtroom experience has helped LoCascio, a trained engineer, hone his ability to explain complex technology to judges and juries. LoCascio may be best known for his successful representation of Equal manufacturer Merisant in the so-called "Battle of the Sweeteners," a 2007 case over the advertising claim that Splenda is "made from sugar."

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